St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-16
THE AMES HEIRS
AND the Court House DonatiOn--Re-
lnOnsIrmnce Against Removal.

hOhstrnnce atsfSS TX mOVal.
Thirty years ago the late DR.. Ames do
mated the court house site in Minneapolis
ana the county accepted the free gift. We
now hear the uptown people talking glibly
OF removing the court house to Hennepin
avenue They propose to take Elder Stew
arts valuable property for this purpose,
Wnether he will or not. They propose to
sell the present court house, jail and site
Tor big sum and pocket the money for tine
puollc. The heirs of DR.. AmeS still live
ana own property round about the original
and present site. VIII they submit meekly
10 THIS sort of robbery, and say no more
ABOUT it? When the site is abandoned for
the express purpose to which it was origin
ally donated, will not the Ames heirs assert
| their rights and claim the property? OF
course they will, and no fair man. woman
or child will blame them. The man would
be untrue to his good ancestral name and
honor who would not. The present site
and the present court house and jail are
good enough yet for many years. 1t is only
the rich property owners and the lawyers
who rent fine offices on Hennepin avenue
who are kicking against it. They begrudge
themselves the pleasant, healthful walk
down there, and the nickel paid for Tom
again. They would rather subject the
county to loss of 100000 on the
present site, and to an expenditure
OF $1,000, 600 more for new site
and buildings. When will our public Off
GERS ever learn economy and WELD their in
nuence against such reckless eXtrava-
gance and folly? A day of recon-
ing is soon coming for all this profligacy.
He who betrays the public trusts so shame
fully Will not be soon forgotten. But if
the court house must be moved, why must
it go to Elder Stewards block?
Hennepin avenue is not all there is of
Minneapolis, either at present or prospec-
lively. Take away from Minneapolis her
great milling center, which rests upon the
Falls OF st. Anthony forever and where
would Hennepin avenue with her Temple
courts and palaces all go to? They would
soon become the hauntS of jack rabbits and
! the buzzardS. Minneapolis at present is
not, either all their is to be of it. The falls
of st. Anthony must ever remain its great
| heart and center, and its pulsatiOns alone
must ever give our great city its life and
| power. This great center is at the foot Of
Sixth avenue south. 1t reaches from
! Fourth avenue to Tenth avenue. Three
f0urthS of the milling interest lies between
Sixth avenue and Eighth avenue, and this
IS the mighty factor which has made our
| city what it is. Our present court house
on Eighth avenue is as near this great cen
ter OF wealth, trade and manufacture as
could be well located, and much nearer the
| great center Of population than we will
ever get it again if moved. Why then to
! Hennepin avenue? The time is coming
| it is only in the near future--when Mime
| apoliS will have half million people, and
| st. Paul as many more Will not the falls
remain the central pivot of her wealth and
power? Will not the region bounded by
NicOllet and Tenth avenue, the river and
Tenth street. then comprise tile cream of
our great business center? We all know
this must be so. There is no necessity,
and surely no good reason for moving our
court house. If, however. it must be
moved, let no shOrtsghted, selfish policy
like the Hennepin avenue scheme prevail
Let the people and their wishes be con-
suited. Let a broad and liberal view be
taken. and let the future of this great city
be duly considered. If. however, the court
house must be moved then let it be taken
to the beautiful Judd block, between Fifth
and Sixth avenues south. and between Fifth
and Sixth streets, which must soon become
the great center Of the future Minneapolis.
Let the city also join with the county, as
was done in Chicago and indianapolis and
let us have a city hall and court house COM
bined that shall rival either and be an
honor to our name and generation. w.